The present invention relates generally to in-vehicle navigation or “route-guidance” systems and more particularly to an improved graphical user interface for such systems.
In-vehicle navigation systems generally comprise motion and position-determining devices, such as GPS receivers, accelerometers, etc. which determine the current position of a vehicle relative to a database of roads. A graphical user interface, typically including a display and user input device, enables the user to select a destination from the database of roads. The display then provides tun-by-turn instructions to the driver guiding the driver to the desired destination from the current position.
In some known navigation systems, the graphical user interface provides a hierarchical menu for selecting a desired destination. For example, the driver initially selects from several groups of destinations such as: “intersections,” “points of interest,” “cities,” “street address,” etc. After selecting one of the groups of destinations, the user may be provided with another plurality of subgroups of destinations. For example, after selecting “points of interest,” the driver may then select from among hotels, grocery stores, theaters, etc.
The known navigation system provides text-based menus. The display typically provided in the navigation system is typically three to five inches diagonally; therefore, a graphical user interface which is efficient in both communicating information and receiving input from the driver is desirable.